30. Tom

Chapter 30

Tom

A lly’s apartment felt like home. I closed the door behind us, trying to shut out the world and focus on her. The sight of her bruise still burned in my mind.

"Tell me, Ally," I said tightly, my voice barely holding back the rage. "Is he the one who hit you the other day? Tell me!"

Her eyes welled with tears, but she turned away, staring at the floor as if it held all the answers she couldn’t give me.

"Please," I said, softer now. "Ally, I-I can't do this. I want to be there for you. I have to be. But if you can't talk to me…"

"I was trying to protect you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I know how you are. You just react. You don't think things through. You don't understand the consequences of your actions."

"If it means you're safe, fuck the consequences," I shot back.

"No," she muttered, shaking her head. "No. You can't do that. Because I'm safe with you. But if you beat Nick to a bloody pulp and get arrested for it, you're not here."

I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my temper in check. "So what? I’m supposed to stand by and let him hurt you?"

Ally wiped at her tears angrily, frustration etched across her face. "You think this is easy for me? Do you think I don’t want to see him pay for what he’s done? But you... you have a life, Tom. A career that means something. If you lose control?—"

"Then what?" My voice rose despite myself. "You think I'm just going to stand here and do nothing?"

She looked at me then, really looked at me, and it felt like she was seeing straight into my soul. "I need you here," she said quietly. "Not behind bars or losing everything you've worked for."

My chest tightened as her words sank in. The weight of my own helplessness crashed over me like a wave.

"I don’t know how to protect you without fighting back," I admitted.

"You protect me by being here," Ally insisted. "By being someone I can rely on."

I stepped closer, tentatively reaching out to touch her cheek where the bruise had darkened her skin. She leaned into my touch, closing her eyes as if drawing strength from it.

"If you're going to lose control," she said, her voice trembling yet resolute. "Lose control with me."

I stared at her, my mind reeling. "What?" I asked, barely comprehending. "What are you saying?"

"Take it out on me," she repeated, grabbing my hands and placing them on her hips. "I can take it. You won't hurt me."

My eyes heated up, emotions swirling within me. Anger, desire, confusion—they all fought for dominance.

"Why?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion. "Why didn't you tell me about the pregnancy?"

"At first, I didn't know what I was going to do," she said softly. "And with Nick finding out… I remember you always thought Janet trapped you with him. I didn't want you to assume I had done the same thing."

"Never," I said firmly. "Not you."

"But I didn't know that," she pointed out, her voice breaking slightly. "We were only together a few weeks. And Nick said it would make you spiral… You knowing about the baby, about…" Her voice trailed off, the pain evident in her eyes.

"What did he make you do?" I demanded, my anger resurfacing. "To keep this from me?"

"N-nothing," Ally stammered.

"Ally," I said, my tone demanding honesty.

"Little things, little favors," she admitted reluctantly. "Nothing about getting back together or anything sexual. Honestly, I think he's just lonely." She sighed deeply.

I clenched my teeth, fury boiling inside me. "You never should have been in that position in the first place."

Her eyes met mine again.

"I wanted to be there for you," I said, the words catching in my throat. "You shouldn't have had to go through that alone."

Ally picked at my shirt, her silence heavy with unspoken pain. Tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

"I would have been so happy," I confessed, the honesty of the statement surprising even myself.

Her eyes widened. "I thought you didn't want kids," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't," I admitted. "In general. But with you? I want six."

A laugh escaped her before she could stop herself, a sound that made my chest ache with longing. God, how I'd missed that laugh.

"I'm serious, Ally," I continued, my voice steady and sincere. "I never knew what I wanted except to play hockey. But being with you has made me realize I want… I want to be a father. I want to raise a child with my partner, not my enemy. I want a family. With you."

She sucked in a breath, her eyes widening as she processed my words. "And what if I can't give you that?" she asked, her voice trembling. "After… after it happened, I researched why, but it's so subjective… and besides my HCG results, because I never had an official appointment, I couldn't talk to my doctor. And honestly? They're not going to refer me to a specialist to get checked out after one missed miscarriage because of how common they are. Some won't even do it after two. I don't… I don't want to have to keep doing that to know, you know?"

"Hey." I took her face in my hands gently, forcing her to meet my gaze. "Hey. I'm here now, okay? We'll figure this out together. I promise you." I looked at her deeply, wanting her to understand the depth of my commitment. "I already told you I'd marry you, Ally. That still stands. And even if the worst case happens and you can't—we can't—then I'll love you even more. You're it for me. There's no future without you."

Her tears finally spilled over as she leaned into me, seeking comfort and reassurance. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—I could be the man she needed me to be.

I pulled her closer, our bodies pressed together as if seeking solace in each other's presence. The weight of our shared past hung between us like a heavy fog, but there was also a glimmer of hope—a chance for redemption.

But as much as I wanted to shield her from everything, I knew we still had a long road ahead. And for the first time in a long while, I felt ready to face it—if not for myself, then for Ally and whatever future we might still carve out together.

"I love you," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

"I love you too," she said back, her words wrapping around me like a warm embrace.

Hearing those words from her was like a balm to my soul. It was as if every piece of my shattered heart had found its place again, each syllable mending the fractures and filling the void that had long haunted me. For the first time in years, I felt truly whole.

"I should tell you," I said, breaking the tender silence. "I have an offer. In Newport. Head coach for the Gulls."

Ally blinked, processing the news. "That's… amazing," she said, her voice steady but tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. "Are you going to do it?"

"Don't know yet," I replied honestly. The weight of that decision pressed on me, a crossroads I wasn’t sure how to navigate.

"I have an interview with Minka Mathers after graduation," she admitted, lips curving up. "Photography for the Serpents."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" I asked, genuinely impressed.

"After Nick got me fired?—"

"He what?" Anger flared in my chest, hot and immediate.

Ally smiled sheepishly. "I forgot you didn't know about that," she said. "Yeah, after he found me with you?—"

The thought of Nick messing up Ally's life ignited a fury inside me that I struggled to contain. Before I could say anything more, I pulled her into a passionate kiss, pouring all my emotions into that single moment—anger, love, desperation, and hope.

She responded with equal fervor, her hands gripping my shirt as if anchoring herself to me. I channeled all my anger into the kiss, letting the fury fuel every movement. Nick had ruined her life, and I hadn't known. The thought burned through me like wildfire, igniting a rage that needed an outlet.

I dominated her, pushing Ally against the wall with a force that matched my emotions. She gasped but didn’t pull away; instead, she leaned into me, her breath coming in short, urgent bursts.

"That's it," she whispered, breathless. "Take it out on me, Tom."

Something inside me snapped. I yanked at her clothes, tugging and pulling with a roughness that mirrored the storm inside me. Buttons flew off her shirt as I tore it open, exposing her bare skin to my touch. She shivered but didn’t protest.

My hands moved to her jeans, fumbling with the zipper before tearing them down her legs. She kicked them off impatiently, her eyes locked onto mine with a mix of defiance and desire.

Every action was driven by raw emotion. My hands roamed over her body, claiming every inch as if to erase Nick’s influence from her life. I needed to mark her as mine—to protect and possess in equal measure.

Ally’s hands clawed at my shirt, pulling it over my head with equal fervor. Her nails raked down my back, leaving trails of fire in their wake. We were a whirlwind of motion, lost in a tangle of limbs and heat.

I pinned her wrists above her head, holding her in place as I leaned in close. "You’re mine," I growled against her lips.

"Yes," she breathed, arching against me. "All yours."

The words fueled my need even further. I stripped away the last of our clothing with a single-minded intensity, driven by the need to make this moment ours—to reclaim what had been stolen from us.

Her body responded to mine with a desperate urgency that matched my own. Every touch, every kiss was an explosion of sensation—a cathartic release for both of us.

I pushed into Ally with a force that matched the anger surging through me. The heat of her body enveloped me, tightening around my length in a way that only amplified the storm inside. Every thrust was a raw, primal claim, an assertion of dominance that bordered on the edge of losing control.

Her gasps and moans spurred me on, each sound like gasoline to the fire burning within. My own breaths came out ragged and guttural, a raw need and frustration escaping from deep within my chest.

"Take it," I growled, my voice dripping with anger and lust. "Take every inch of me."

She responded with a whimper, her nails digging into my shoulders as she arched against me. Her submission fueled my need further, pushing me to drive into her harder, faster.

"You're mine," I snarled against her ear, each word laced with possessive fury. "All fucking mine."

The wet sounds of our bodies colliding filled the room, mingling with the desperate noises we both made. My grip on her wrists tightened as I pounded into her relentlessly, each thrust a physical manifestation of the rage boiling inside me.

"You like this?" I hissed, my breath hot against her neck. "You like being fucked by me? Knowing I'm the one who owns you?"

"Yes," she breathed out, her voice trembling with desire.

The admission sent a jolt of satisfaction through me. I drove deeper, savoring the way her body clenched around mine, holding me in an iron grip that only spurred my need further.

"Say it," I demanded harshly. "Say you're mine."

"I'm yours," she cried out, her voice cracking under the weight of our shared intensity.

"Good girl," I grunted, driving into her even harder. The wall was solid but groaned beneath us, but I didn’t care. Nothing mattered but this—her submission, our connection, and the primal need to claim what was mine.

Each thrust brought us closer to the edge, our bodies moving in perfect sync despite the chaotic storm raging within us both. The room was filled with the sounds of our passion—heavy breaths, desperate moans, and the rhythmic slap of skin against skin.

"You're going to come for me," I growled out through clenched teeth. "Come all over my cock."

Her body tensed around me, a vice grip that nearly pushed me over the edge. Ally's breath hitched, her moans escalating into desperate cries. I felt her shudder, her muscles contracting in waves that squeezed and pulled at me, dragging me deeper into the abyss of our shared frenzy.

"That's it," I groaned, each word a struggle against the primal urge to let go. "Come for me."

Her climax hit her like a storm, her entire body convulsing with the force of it. The sight of her unraveling, the feel of her losing control under my touch—it was intoxicating. Her moans turned into a symphony of ecstasy, a melody that resonated through every fiber of my being.

"I'm not finished with you," I growled, my voice rough with desire and lingering anger. I grabbed her hips, keeping her wrapped around me as I lowered us to the floor. The hardwood felt cool against my heated skin, but I barely registered it. My focus was solely on Ally—on reclaiming every part of her.

I turned her around, so she was on her knees, positioning myself behind her. The sight of her like this—vulnerable yet powerful—sent a surge of possessive lust through me. I thrust into her without hesitation, driving deep and hard.

"I'll fuck you like a goddamn animal," I snarled, each word punctuated by the force of my movements.

The sensation was overwhelming—her warmth enveloping me, drawing me deeper with every thrust. My grip on her hips tightened, nails digging into soft flesh as I pounded into her relentlessly. The friction between us was electric, sparking a fire that consumed every rational thought.

Her cries echoed in the room, mingling with the raw sounds of our bodies colliding. I hoped Nick could hear—I fucking wanted him to know who she fucking belonged to, because it sure as shit wasn't him. Each thrust brought us closer to the edge again, a heady mix of pain and pleasure that blurred the lines between sanity and madness.

Every movement was an assertion of dominance, a claim staked in flesh and desire. My breaths came out ragged and harsh, matching the rhythm of our union. It was primal and intense—a raw connection that went beyond mere physicality.

"You're doing so good for me, Ally. Taking every inch like you were made for it."

She moaned, her body trembling beneath me. The way she responded, the way she surrendered—it drove me wild. I tightened my grip on her hips, pulling her back onto me with each thrust.

"Come for me again," I demanded, my voice rough with need. "I want you to take my come like a good little girl."

Her breaths quickened, her moans growing louder and more desperate. I could feel the tension building in her body, the way her muscles tightened and clenched. She was close, so close.

I reached around, my fingers finding that sensitive spot between her legs. I rubbed it in time with my thrusts, pushing her closer to the edge. "That's it," I whispered, my breath hot against her neck. "Let go for me."

With a cry, she came again, her body shuddering violently as waves of pleasure washed over her. Her inner walls clenched around me, milking every last drop from me. The sensation was overwhelming, pushing me over the edge right after her.

I followed, a guttural groan escaping my lips as I spilled into her. My body tensed and shuddered with the force of my release, every nerve ending alight with pleasure.

We stayed like that for a moment, both of us panting and spent. Slowly, I eased out of her and pulled her into my arms, holding her close as our breathing steadied.

"I love you, Ally," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "You mean the world to me. I can't promise we'll get the family we want. I mean, fuck, I hope I get you pregnant right the fuck now, but… I can promise I'll be there for you, no matter what. You won't ever go through that alone again."

Ally nuzzled against my chest, her warmth seeping into me like a balm. Her eyes fluttered open briefly before she closed them again, resting her head against my shoulder.

"What are you going to do?" she asked tiredly, her voice muffled against my skin. "About Newport?"

I kissed her forehead gently, savoring the softness of her skin beneath my lips. "That depends," I murmured.

"On what?"

"On you," I continued, feeling the weight of my words settle between us. "On your job with the Serpents. On whether or not you'll marry me."

She hummed softly, a sound that vibrated through both our bodies. "Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "I don't know."

A pang of anxiety gripped me. "What?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"About the Serpents," she clarified, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. "And marrying me?" I pressed gently, needing to hear her answer.

She cracked an eye open and looked up at me with a hint of mischief in her gaze.

"Yes, Tom," she said softly but firmly. "I'll marry you."